What Happens if I Disagree With My Ex About Our Child’s Education?

 Posted on May 28, 2024 in Child Custody

Some of the hardest parts of divorce for parents are child-related matters. Parents who split up must also split child custody, possession, access, and parental responsibilities. Even though the spouses no longer want to be together, they must still work together to make major decisions. They must decide, for instance, how to raise the child, where the child will live, and how the child will be educated.

Texas law understands that this is a difficult undertaking for divorcing parents. That is why they are required to submit a parenting plan to the court as part of the divorce process. The parenting plan, if drafted correctly by an experienced attorney, can help prevent a lot of disagreements parents might have about their child.

What Is a Parenting Plan?

A parenting plan is a document that describes how you and your ex-spouse will parent your child after divorce. The plan includes such details as:

• Which parent has the majority of possession, or physical custody of the child

• Transportation arrangements for the child between each parent, and between each parent and the child’s school

• The addresses of all parties

• How each parent will communicate with the child during the other parent’s parenting time

• How the parents notify each other of emergencies

• Provisions about the right of first refusal, which is a parent’s right to take physical custody of the child if the other parent becomes unable to do so

• How decision-making responsibilities will be divided between the parents

Decision-making responsibilities refer to major life decisions for the child. Therefore, dividing these responsibilities is a task that should be done with extra care.

What Are Decision-Making Responsibilities?

There are three main categories of decisions that need to be made for the child:

• Education: Where will the child attend school? Will there be extra-curricular activities? Does the child need private tutoring in extra subjects?

• Religion: In which faith will the child be raised? This is an especially difficult question to answer when each parent is of a different faith.

• Health: How will medical decisions about the child be made? Will the child follow a certain health plan?

What if the Parents Disagree About Education?

The parenting plan usually assigns decision-making about educational matters to one of the parents. If you and your co-parent disagree about the child’s education before the divorce, you will need to defer to whoever is the designated decision-maker in the parenting plan.

Contact a Denton, TX Parenting Plan Attorney

The key to who makes decisions about the child’s education is how the parenting plan was drafted. The key to a well-drafted parenting plan is an experienced Denton County, Texas parenting plan lawyer. At The Law Office of Linda Risinger, we have been practicing family law for over 30 years and have extensive experience in writing parenting plans. When we draft your parenting plan, your and your child’s best interests will be our main focus. Call 972-294-6533 for a free consultation today.